During my undergraduate days, I was headlong into all of my pre-teaching training courses. I truly enjoyed all of them. But, as I neared my junior and senior years of college, I began to get more into the philosophies of teaching. It seems that, at that time, the prevalent theories of teaching led my professors to refuse to tout the use of specific curriculum. That was both good and bad. It was good because it forced me to think along the lines that I did not need to depend on current published curriculum to be able to teach well. It was bad, however, because it generated the incorporation of a hodgepodge type of homemade curriculum that was left strictly up to me to develop and teach—risky, to say the least.

After I landed my first teaching gig, I knew I was in trouble because the school district had a mandated curriculum, which is what I was told would probably happen. We were taught in college to “just close your door and teach the way you know is right.” Well, that was risky, too, because my lack of experience in the classroom made it nearly impossible to know “what was right.” So, I proceeded with what I thought was right while still trying to adhere to the required curriculum. What I discovered unsettled me. Not only was I realizing that the prescribed curriculum had been chosen because the school got a good deal on it, but also I learned that it was fragmented. I WAS becoming an expert at hodgepodge because I had to scour resource after resource to find filler curriculum to bridge the gaps between the reading books, spelling books, language arts books, and the all the other subjects I had to teach. So, I suppose it was a good thing that I had been taught how to do it, but I was on very shaky ground. What’s worse is that my students were paying for my instability. I found myself plodding even deeper into other resources that might offer me a happy-medium. I needed a curriculum that would bridge the gaps, especially in the language arts arena—and I needed the bridging to make sense. My hodgepodge approach was creating chaos. What became clear to me was that I lacked the connective tissue between methodology and curriculum…that’s when, after a couple of location changes and school district changes, I got wind of Shurley English—and a breath of fresh air it was!

Finally…a curriculum that articulated the language arts in a way that was both methodical and systematic. It was the curricular sinew I needed to bridge the gaps I knew existed in my current system. If you read an earlier article of mine Becoming a Real Teacher, you know that all of the chaos I had inadvertently created through my hodgepodge curricular approach gradually dissipated into thin air. I had stumbled upon a technique of teaching that far surpassed any of the practical information that had been available to me in my teacher training days. What was more, I had a new sense of direction…and I just KNEW I was heading in the right direction for the first time since having begun my teaching career.

What about you? Is your backstory similar to mine? Have you been closing your door and teaching with less than enthusiasm and more frustration than you can bear to face? Is your district funding at a standstill, forcing you to generate a hodgepodge of pieces of curriculum with holes in it? If you’re looking for a method of teaching—no, check that…a purpose for teaching that takes your knowledge base further than you would have hoped, don’t miss the chance to bring Shurley English to your classroom. It might well be the solution for you as it was for me.

Just like many of you, teachers across the United States are experiencing lots of change during this time of year like switching classrooms or schools, learning new curricula, and welcoming a new class of students. Changes like these push us outside of our comfort zones.

I used to look at veteran teachers and thought they had less planning and preparing to do because they could use lessons from their previous years. I’d dream of the day when I could relax at the beginning of the year and coast through my lessons like they were, or so it seemed. For some reason, I believed I could avoid the inevitable changes in our field; I was proven wrong when I changed grade levels for the first three years of my teaching career. I also learned that those veteran teachers still worked just as hard as the new teachers. What an interesting welcome to the world of education. I learned quickly that change is the one thing that always remains consistent.

During one of my recent training sessions, I quickly learned that my audience was full of brand new teachers of Shurley English. From my perspective, I thought, “How exciting!” On the contrary, I could tell from the faces in the audience that the teachers were feeling more overwhelmed than excited. Most of them were new to the school and were in the middle of their “professional development boot-camp.” It seemed as though the beginning of the year pressure had set in, and it was crunch-time for this staff!

As teachers, we would never expect our students, on the first day of school, to know all of the concepts that we will be teaching them throughout the year. As a Shurley English Consultant who trains teachers how to implement the curriculum into their classrooms, I would never expect my audience to master the concepts I teach them in one day! Over the years, it’s become evident that many teachers want to learn or believe that they need to learn a new curriculum in one training session. Realistically, I think we can all agree that learning something new takes time and effort. There’s no need for this kind of unnecessary pressure when learning a new curriculum like Shurley English. Not only does Shurley English make learning grammar, skills, and writing easy for your students; it also sets you, the educator, up for a successful year of teaching. We cannot avoid change, but we can practice pushing the boundaries of our comfort zones.

If you’re already feeling overwhelmed, here’s my quick advice:

Be willing to recreate the boundaries of your comfort zone. Level-up your teaching!

Step into this new situation with a beginner’s mindset. Be truly open to learning something new.

Seek out training…ASAP! It’s okay to ask for training. Knowledge will empower you.

So, take a breath and take it one lesson at a time. Once you get used to pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone, you’ll experience more resilience when you’re faced with change in and out of the classroom.

Bonus Blog: Do you want your Shurley English classroom to soar? Check out this blog entitled, “Taking off with Shurley English.” You’ll be glad you did!

Discipline is one of the most pressing issues in our schools today, and in order for learning to take place, teachers must control and minimize time off task due to discipline problems. Choosing an effective approach and using it correctly can make a big difference in whether a child feels safe or threatened and whether a child learns more appropriate behaviors or not once the discipline has been administered.

Instead of waiting until bad behavior rears its ugly head, it is best practice for teachers to proactively teach discipline just like any other subject. Lessons should include teaching positive behavior skills and how to achieve them during various situations. As students’ knowledge, skill, and practice of good behavior grows, so does the chance of them having a lasting impact. The goal is to help students develop self-control and begin to understand socially responsible behavior.

Usually, teachers discuss classroom rules on the first day of school and post them in the room as a visual reminder. While this approach to rule setting can be quite effective in establishing a sense of order in a classroom (which we very much need), it does little to help children develop self-discipline, ethical thinking, or an understanding of how to be contributing members of a democratic community. At its worst, it invites tension, blind obedience, or a constant battle of wills between adults and children in school. (Thorton, Mary Beth. Rules in School. Center for Responsive Schools, Inc. 2011)

Research suggests that when students and teachers work collaboratively during the early weeks of school to develop classroom rules, students generally view the rules in a more positive light. They must understand that the rules are there to keep them safe and help them achieve their goals in school. As a suggestion, you might start with a list of basic rules and then collaboratively work with students to rewrite and/or add to them.

When it comes to discipline, a teacher’s approach is extremely important. Since all discipline problems are not alike, an effective teacher learns to match different approaches to different problems. The key is to be aware of the various discipline approaches that have been developed, so here are some that you might want to use from Inspiring Discipline by Merrill Harmin (NEA Professional Library 1995).

The Simple Authority Statement: With a simple authority statement, teachers can exercise authority with minimum distress and emotion. By employing this strategy, you also show students how a person can use authority respectfully and reasonably. The strategy calls for the teacher to voice disapproval authoritatively, promptly, and as unemotionally as possible.

Redirect Student Energy: By redirecting student energy, a teacher can end misbehavior without creating negative feelings. Instead of focusing on the misbehavior, this strategy calls on the teacher to turn student attention to something else, preferably something worth attending to. This is a useful approach when direct confrontation is either unnecessary or imprudent.

The Calm Reminder: A calm reminder can help students understand what they are supposed to do, in a way that does not communicate negative emotions.

The Next-Time Message: A next-time message can correct students' behavior without making them feel discouraged. The strategy calls for the teacher to tell students what to do next time, without focusing on what was done this time.

The Check-Yourself Message: A check-yourself message can remind students to manage themselves responsibly. The strategy involves the teacher telling students to check what they have done, implying that when they do so, they will see what corrections are necessary. This strategy can be used whenever students become careless.

The Silent Response: A silent response strategy gives students room to solve their own problems. This strategy also provides a way of avoiding hasty, inappropriate responses. A teacher using this strategy reacts to an act of misbehavior by making a mental note only and considering later what, if any, action is appropriate.

Clock Focus: A clock focus strategy can settle student restlessness and increase student powers of concentration. The strategy calls for the teacher to announce "clock focus," a cue to students to stand and watch the second hand of a clock make full circles, as many rotations as they choose, and then to sit and resume their individual work. The strategy can be used whenever students need to be settled down, particularly young students working at individual tasks.

The Visitor's Chair: By using the visitor's chair strategy, a teacher can position a student close-by without communicating disapproval. The teacher using this strategy asks a student to sit in a "visitor's chair" close to where the teacher is sitting or standing. Students know they can return to their own seats whenever they feel ready for responsible self-management.

Honest "I" Statements: "I" statements can help teachers communicate honestly without generating defensiveness or guilt. Honest "I" statements also help teachers model a valuable interpersonal skill. The strategy calls for the teacher to talk honestly about personal needs and feelings, making "I" statements, avoiding comments about what "you" did or "you" said. This approach is especially useful when upsetting feelings emerge.

The Undone-Work Response: An undone-work response is a useful approach when students fail to do required work. A teacher using this strategy avoids a blaming response and instead aims to create a growth-producing response. This approach can be used whenever a student has not completed work on time.

In conclusion, teachers must always be mindful of their own role when it comes to disciplining a child. They must:

establish clear expectations,

teach students how their actions can bring positive or negative consequences to themselves and others,

use respectful strategies to stop misbehavior and restore positive behavior as quickly as possible,

be kind, fair, and consistent,

aim to create a calm, safe, and orderly classroom while preserving the dignity of each child.

When bad behavior occurs, teachers should take the necessary steps to get students back on track. If the behavior is new, stop and talk to the student about it, using the list above to address the behavior. If it happens again, chances are that the student has developed a pattern of this misbehavior. The teacher should address the behavior problem as a pattern and use the list above to deal with the pattern of misbehavior. Now, if the behavior happens again, it’s time for the teacher to involve the parent(s) and possibly the principal.

Students will have many opportunities at school to learn from their mistakes, and the teacher plays a huge role in guiding them toward success both academically and socially. Haim Ginnot, a school teacher, child psychologist, psychotherapist, and parent educator, wrote one of the best quotes I’ve ever read, and I think it makes a great conclusion to this topic. He wrote:

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”

Shurley English

Shurley English is the best English Language Arts curriculum available to public schools, private schools, and home educators.Shurley English is a rigorous curriculum that brings back student-teacher interaction, promotes higher-order thinking skills, and provides students with a successful base from which they can achieve mastery, retention, and enthusiasm for English.

Our mission is to inspire and empower ALL students to become competent, confident communicators by providing superior educational solutions and innovative teacher training tools. This will enable all students to positively impact their school, community, and future work environments.